Tambre Leighn, MA, CPC, ELI-MP
Founder & CEO/Well Beyond Ordinary
Like many of you, my life has been a blend of challenges, successes, growth and learning. I believe the intensity of those challenges has given me the empathy and breadth of experience necessary to be of service to others. It was in some of darkest corners of my life where I found the greatest gifts and opportunities for personal transformation.
Prior to becoming a life coach, I was an award-winning filmmaker with nearly fifteen years of experience in Hollywood. I wo
rked in features, television, commercials and documentaries. To be successful in the film business requires many skills including elite level problem solving, excellent communication, inspired creativity and incredible tenacity.
My training in figure skating, dance, gymnastics and competitive horse back rid
ing prepared me for the demands of the highly competitive world of Hollywood. And as a former professional athlete, I am well acquainted with setting goals for high performance in high stakes scenarios.
When my late husband was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease at the age of 34, I decided to learn alternative healing methods; we were battling his cancer together. As a result, I accrued nearly 1,000 hours of training in massage therapy, reflexology, cranial sacral therapy, hypnotherapy and I am a Reiki Master. Sadly, three years following his diagnosis, Gary died, taking with him our dreams and leaving me without a sense of purpose for the first time in my life.
Momento from Gary’s Memorial Service
In 2004, after returning home to Canada from Los Angeles, I completed a one-year program in psychotherapy through the Transformational Arts College in Toronto, Canada. While the program prepared me with excellent skills to work with clients, I realized the modality didn’t fit my life philosophy of change through a combination of awareness, action and forward movement.
Later that year, I was lured back into the film industry by one of Canada’s leading documentary filmmakers. I had voiced my discontent with the idea of pursuing a full time psychotherapy practice to him and was offered the chance to fulfill my goal of becoming a producer.
Temple in Kathmandu
My first film as a line producer, The Climb, gave me the chance to travel to Kathmandu where I spent fifteen life transforming days prepping for our crew to film all the way to base camp. I went on to serve as a consulting producer for three more years, working on documentaries such as The Man Who Would Be King, a film shot in the Sudan for National Geographic International and the Sundance Channel and When We Were Boys for The Documentary Channel.
Once I realized my goal of becoming a producer, I was filled with a sense there was something even larger on the horizon for me. I wanted to live my maximum potential as a human being. After four years of living, working and healing from my loss in Canada, I once again felt the pull of the West Coast.
I returned to Los Angeles in August of 2007 with the goal of creating a successful model based on my own journey to help others recreate their lives when everything changes forever. I was unable to find effective grief counseling during my early days of becoming a widow. I realized many caregivers and survivors felt broken after cancer. This made me determined to find a way to help others move authentically through the process of rebuilding their lives in a more conscious way. I began to write and dance, reclaiming the artistic aspects of me. Somewhere along the way, I also found my joy again.
My search for a modality that integrated awareness with action to bring about transformation ended when I heard about life coaching from a friend. I finally found a paradigm that would allow me to support clients in rebuilding their lives following major change or the realization that somehow along the way they lost their dreams and highest hopes for their future. I am a certified professional coach (CPC) having completed my training with iPEC, one of the top programs worldwide to be accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF). I am also writing my memoir, “The Things I Will Become,” about my recovery from grief and the process of rebuilding my life after great loss.
I am a blend of many different aspects of myself and many different life experiences. I am a daughter, a sister, a widow, a friend and a successful career woman. I am a writer, a teacher, a healer, a student, an athlete and an artist. I see my ex
periences, both professional and personal, the successes and the disappointments, all as preparation for the path of purposeful living. I am now dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of others and helping others in living to maximum potential. And in the in-between moments you will most likely find me somewhere on a dance floor in pursuit of mastery in that realm.
For a detailed list of credentials, you can check out my Relevant Background Training here on the website.
I’ve shared my story with you. Now it is your turn. I love to be inspired by the ways others have endured difficult times, unexpected changes or major challenges. In 1000 words or less, let me know what you have overcome, or where you are struggling or stuck. Share your best defining moments. You can also share your yet-to-be realized dreams and your greatest hope for your life. Submissions are confidential however, I will be contacting people for permission to post some entries on this site each month. Storytelling is a powerful way to connect to others, so reach out below and share yours.